KUALA LUMPUR – With the pandemic situation in the country seemingly spiralling out of hand, the Pakatan Harapan presidential council has urged the government to undertake a tried-and-tested “delayed second dose vaccination” strategy.
The council in a statement today said this will allow more people to get the first dose of the Covid-19 jab and ensure they are protected from the virus.
The move is important to curb the catastrophic climb in Covid-19 infections amid a vaccine supply shortage, with almost 20,000 new cases being reported in the last three days alone, it added.
“Our utmost priority should be to protect the maximum number of people within the shortest possible time frame.
“By delaying the administration of the second dose, more Malaysians will be given the first dose of the vaccine. This is particularly pressing, in view of the acute shortage of vaccine at the moment.”
The statement was jointly signed by opposition leader and PKR president Datuk Seri Awnar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
The council said a similar strategy was adopted by the United Kingdom in November last year, with more countries starting to utilise the approach, including India and Singapore.
Latest research has found that administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster 12 weeks after the first dose, rather than the usual three weeks, produces a much stronger antibody response, it added.
“We strongly encourage the public to pressure the government to adopt this nascent strategy.
“It has been proven to work, and the government must, therefore, be proactive in ratifying these strategies and stop endangering the lives of our citizens,”
The council said there is now a dire need to adopt this scientifically proven approach, with the effects of a shortage of vaccine supply being felt throughout the nation.
“We deeply empathise with the majority of Malaysians who are frustrated by the long wait to get inoculated and dangerously ascending risk of contracting Covid-19.
“The government has shown itself to be ostensibly ignorant and incompetent in responding to the rapid changes in the situation regarding the pandemic.”
As of mid-afternoon yesterday, Malaysia’s total Covid-19 caseload has reached 498,795, nearing the half-million mark, with the virus claiming the lives of 2,149 people since the pandemic began. – The Vibes, May 22, 2021
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